A relational framework for understanding bullying: Developmental antecedents and outcomes.

Abstract

This article reviews current research on the relational processes involved in peer bullying, considering developmental antecedents and long-term consequences. The following themes are highlighted: (a) aggression can be both adaptive and maladaptive, and this distinction has implications for bullies' functioning within peer social ecologies; (b) developmental antecedents and long-term consequences of bullying have not been well-distinguished from the extant research on aggressive behavior; (c) bullying is aggression that operates within relationships of power and abuse. Power asymmetry and repetition elements of traditional bullying definitions have been hard to operationalize, but without these specifications and more dyadic measurement approaches there may be little rationale for a distinct literature on bullying--separate from aggression. Applications of a relational approach to bullying are provided using gender as an example. Implications for future research are drawn from the study of relationships and interpersonal theories of developmental psychopathology.

Bullying Intervention in Adolescence: The Intersection of Legislation, Policies, and Behavioral Change

“…Adults and even adolescents themselves may not be attuned to the subtleties of perceived differences in power between peers (Cornell and Huang 2014;Olweus 2013). Nonetheless, this is a defining feature of bullying that distinguished it from other forms of peer aggression, and extensive research demonstrates that what is required to successfully address and prevent bullying is unique (Cascardi et al 2014;Rodkin et al, 2015;Swearer et al 2009). Policies and procedures that to not attend to the unique nature of bullying behavior run the risk of being ineffective, or even iatrogenic (Ttofi and Farrington 2011).…”

“…Adolescents' unique sensitivity toward social rewards makes peer admiration and approval a particularly desirable goal. The developmental literature recognizes bullying behavior as being both goal-directed and associated with social benefits that can serve to sustain the behavior despite costs (e.g., Ellis et al 2015;Hawley et al 2011;Rodkin et al 2015;Salmivalli 2010;Volk et al 2014). For example, instances of bullying are commonly rewarded with immediate boosts to popularity, status, and self-esteem for perpetrators (Ellis et al 2015;Reijntjes et al 2013).…”

Two Sides of the Coin: A Person- And Process-Centered Analytical Approach to School Bullying Phenomenon

“…The process approach attempts to answer questions about the mechanisms and processes involved in the phenomenon of peer harassment, but also shows this phenomenon in a wider social and cultural context. Attention to the social and group side of the phenomenon by 'entangling' most students in the peer group (classroom) leads to the analysis of peer ecology and intragroup dynamics (see also Rodkin, Espelage & Hanish 2015). Rodkin and Hodges (2003) defined peer ecology as a part of children's microsystem that involves children interacting with, influencing and socializing with each other (p. 385).…”

Challenging Behavior, Parental Conflict and Community Violence in Students with Aggressive Behavior

“…Bullying differs from other forms of aggression because of its systematic nature and its manifestation in the context of interpersonal relationships with marked asymmetries of power between the perpetrator and the victim (Rodkin, Espelage, & Hanish, 2015;Volk, Dane, & Marini, 2014). Among other negative effects, this problem leads to decreased academic performance, emotional disorders, and suicide attempts for victims (McDougall & Vaillancourt, 2015;O'Brennan, Bradshaw, & Sawyer, 2009).…”